If Only I Could Return to Being a Child

EDITOR'S NOTE:The following is a beautiful email we received from one of our web readers:

I made a retreat in Baton Rouge, La., recently, led by one of the Marian priests. I had been profoundly sad and discouraged for years, because at one time I had been so close to God and was so blessed by Him in so many ways and yet I allowed myself to slip away and into very grave sin for a long, long time. I felt especially bad when I sinned because I felt like I knew better than the average person just how much God loves us. I knew I was wounding Jesus Heart so much, but I just kept on sinning.

At the retreat, Jesus gave me to know that no matter how bad I had sinned, He loves me and forgives me for everything, and that in His eyes, I am like a pure innocent child if I will but love and trust Him again.

You see, most of my adult life, I have always said if I could, I would return to being a child of 4- or 5-years old, full of innocence and free of cares. For this reason, I would call myself a melancholic-type personality.

So the Sunday after the retreat, I went to Mass in my home parish, and I sat front and center in the second row so I could see good and fully participate in the Mass. I happened to sit next to a little girl of about 6-years old attending Mass with her family. When it came time to pray the Our Father, the little girl automatically raised her hand to hold mine without even looking at me.

Feeling that little child's sweet hand in mine, I got a feeling like Jesus was telling me that my soul was like that little girl's to Him because I had returned to Him in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and put my trust in Him.

This was the sweetest and most wonderful thing I have experienced in years. I just wanted to share that with someone. God is so good!

Saint Faustina writes in her Diary:

Today the Lord said to me, "Daughter, when you go to confession, to this fountain of My mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My heart always flows down upon your soul and ennobles it. Every time you go to confession, immerse yourself entirely in My mercy, with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of My grace upon your soul. When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity. The torrents of grace inundate humble souls. The proud remain always in poverty and misery, because My grace turns way from them to humble souls." (1602)

We often read about the struggle of women in being able to follow Natural Family Planning as well struggle with eating disorders , both of them situations where appetites want to be in charge !

Continual recitation of the chaplet , esp. on behalf of babies who have been diplaced , due to use of contraceptives , as well as in other verious deficits we come across in persons , in the form of lust, envy , pride etc too - wish there would even be a large study on this , to help to show its effectiveness so that more persons would know readily ,where to turn !

MARIA C. - Apr 21, 2012

This is one of the diary entry that inspires me from St. Faustina's diary. You definitely know that when you approach a confessional that the Lord is there and not the priest whom you are confessing. That is why I am proud to be a Catholic as there is no other way that I will purify myself without the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I just loved this Sacrament and would never think even just once to switch to another faith. Thanks for this article,it is definitely worth sharing.